As we are the first human rights center at a business school in Europe, the education of future managers is part of our core mission. Through research, teaching, and establishing networks of business scholars, we advance our human rights agenda at business schools and prepare the next generation of graduates to manage human rights challenges in corporate practice.
Our Case Studies are written primarily for teaching purposes with pedagogical objectives. However, they also demonstrate that integrating human rights in business is indeed possible and, under specific conditions, compatible with broader business objectives.
Teaching
We teach business and human rights at the University of Geneva in the bachelor’s and master’s program.
Learn more about the courses we offer at the Geneva School of Economics and Management.
Check out the following GSEM Programs:
Bachelor in Economics and Management
Master of Science in Responsible Management
Master of Science in Commodity Trading
Business and Human Rights Clinic
Introducing the first Business and Human Rights Clinic!
The Business and Human Rights Clinic presents an opportunity for students to gain practical experience on corporate engagement with human rights.
Its objective is to explore implementation strategies for human rights in corporate practice.
Global Business School Network for BHR Impact Community
In 2016, the Geneva School of Economics and Management co-founded a network of business schools that advance human rights in business education. The Global Business School Network for Business and Human Rights Impact Community (GBSN for BHR) comprises over 120 business schools from around the world and starting 2020, we have partnered with the Global Business School Network (GBSN) and the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) to reach out to an even larger group of business schools.
In 2020, in collaboration with the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights and the Global Business School Network, we published The Case for Human Rights in Business Education - A Tool Kit (PDF), a foundational white paper that describes integration strategies for human rights teaching and research at business schools. It also includes testimonies of other business schools and lists relevant BHR teaching resources, research outlets, and key network contacts.
Young Researchers Summit
We support emerging scholars in the business and human rights field. We are co-founders of the Business and Human Rights Young Researchers Summit, an academic conference for PhD students and postdocs. Our network of emerging BHR scholars comprises over 100 young scholars.
In 2021, we hosted the 6th Young Researchers Summit at the University of Geneva.
The 8th Business and Human Rights Young Researchers Summit will take place in New York City on August 10-12, 2023. The call for abstracts (PDF) is available.
Case studies
The case study series of the GCBHR invites companies to share business model innovations that allow profits and human rights principles to coexist. The common question we are looking to answer through these case studies is: How can companies manage and grow their operations while integrating human rights standards into core business practices and daily business decisions?
The case studies show how real companies currently address human rights. They capture the motivations for business model transitions, the ongoing implementation challenges, and incomplete implementation aspects.
These case studies are therefore not endorsements of companies. Instead, they highlight the complexities surrounding the advancement of human rights in practice for companies operating across different industries. They are written primarily for teaching purposes with pedagogical objectives. However, they also demonstrate that integrating human rights in business is indeed possible and, under specific conditions, also compatible with broader business objectives. We hope that these pioneering attempts to align profits and principles are inspirational for other companies.
Textbook
Dorothée Baumann-Pauly co-edited Business and Human Rights: From Principles to Practice (2016), the first-ever textbook on business and human rights. A follow-up volume focused on the implementation challenges for business and human rights in corporate practice is planned for 2021/2022.
Case studies
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The case focuses on Decathlon, Europe’s biggest outdoor and sports retailer. It examines how the company is adjusting its business model to align growth and profits with positive social impact…
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This case study describes and discusses the approach that ABN AMRO has adopted in its relationships with clients who are associated with the palm oil sector.
Featured events
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The Business and Human Rights (BHR) Young Researchers Summit provides an international platform for young scholars in the field of BHR.
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As part of GBSN Beyond, Dorothée Baumann-Pauly orgnanizes the plenary session titled “Multi-Stakeholder Action Towards the Business and Human Rights Agenda” on Nov. 8.
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This annual meeting focuses on the advancement of human rights research and teaching at business schools.